An Interview With a Cat With Special Features - Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week | Lola The Rescued Cat
Wednesday, September 21, 2016

An Interview With a Cat With Special Features - Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week

Hello everyone! This is Lexy checking in with the second part of our series on "Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week." As promised, I have a spectacular interview a "special needs" cat. I'm happy to introduce Sophie, of Kitty Cat Chronicles! 


Sophie

Lexy: Hi Sophie! Thanks so much for letting me interview you for “Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet” week.  First, I’d like to say you’re looking very beautiful today.  And second, I purrsonally don’t like the term “less adoptable pet”, but we’ll work with it.  So, you are a cat with a disability.  Could you tell our readers a little bit about it? 

Sophie: Of course! Thanks for having me here today, Lexy. I always love to have the opportunity to help raise awareness for “less adoptable pets.” Like you though, I don’t like that term. My mom and I call us “pets with special features” instead! So let me tell you about MY special feature! 

I have what is known as cerebellar hypoplasia, or CH. CH is a neurological disorder in which the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls coordination and motor skills, doesn’t develop completely before birth. This means that I am wobbly and uncoordinated, I can’t walk a straight line, and I fall over sometimes. The good news is that CH doesn’t get worse over time, and it doesn’t affect my lifespan. It won’t get better either, but we CH kitties find ways to compensate for our condition. What we lack in coordination, we make up for a thousand fold in determination! 


Sophie on an adventure
Lexy: Do you consider yourself a special needs cat? Do you need anything special at home to keep you safe and healthy? 

Sophie: Technically I am a special needs kitty. I do require a little bit of extra care and attention, but not too much. Here’s a list of the things that my mom and dad do to keep me safe and make things easier for me:
They keep my nails long since I need them to help stabilize me when I’m      walking/standing, and I also use them to help myself up on the furniture. CH kitties aren’t the best jumpers, so we do a lot of climbing instead.
They make special litter boxes out of big plastic storage bins by cutting a hole in the side. These give me plenty of room and also give me high walls to lean against. I have trouble keeping my balance in the litter box otherwise.
They always follow the “four on the floor” rule – meaning whenever they put me down, they always make sure all four of my feet are on the ground before letting go. 
Our previous house had stairs, so they kept a baby gate at the bottom to keep me off the them. They were worried about me falling down the stairs. Never mind the fact that I figured out how to climb over any baby gate they put up…

I only have a mild-moderate case of CH, so as you can see, there isn’t a whole lot of extra things my mom and dad have to do for me. Kitties with more severe cases sometimes require walkers, special flat litter boxes, help with eating, and other special considerations. 


Sophie and Lucy
Lexy: What makes you different (if anything) from your other siblings? 

Sophie: The only thing different about me from my other fur-siblings is that I walk differently. I still play the same, eat the same, and most importantly, I still love the same. 

Lexy: What is a typical day like for you?

Sophie: Same as any other lucky kitty like me – I wake up snuggled between my mom and dad, they feed us all (never soon enough though!), and then I spend the rest of my day doing regular kitty things like playing, napping, and cuddling. If I’m really lucky, I get to go on an adventure to the park or someplace cool!


Kylo Ren, Lucy and Sophie - The Adventure Team
Lexy: How did you find your mom and dad? 

Sophie: They actually found me, accidentally! They were at PetSmart one weekend getting supplies for my older fur-siblings Delilah and Sampson. The rescue that Deli and Sampy were adopted from was there with more adoptable kitties as usual, so of course Mom and Dad had to take a peek. They saw me stumbling around playing and having a good time. They just sat and watched me play for a little while, and then asked my foster mom why I was walking the way I was, so she explained to them about my CH. They were already in love with me, and knowing that I was extra-special made them love me even more. My dad picked me up, and I went right to sleep, purring in his arms for over an hour. It was love for sure, but they didn’t take me home that day. They wanted to really badly, but they didn’t think they could afford another kitty, and they didn’t think it would be fair to me if they weren’t able to give me the care I deserved. A few months went by, and they came to visit me a couple of times. Then finally, they couldn’t resist me any longer, so they adopted me!

Lexy: Do they treat you any different from your other siblings? 

Sohie: No, not really. They used to baby me more when I was younger because they were worried I would hurt myself. After a little while though, they realized that I don’t need to be babied – that I am perfectly capable of doing everything on my own in my own way! They had to learn to let go so that I could learn to be more self-sufficient. They still worry about me sometimes though – mostly when I jump off the back of the couch superman-style!


Beautiful Sassy
Lexy: You’re not the only cat in the house that would be considered special needs. Can you tell us about your sister? 

Sophie; I have an older sister named Sassy who is FIV+. FIV is the kitty version of HIV. Unfortunately, many people freak out when they hear FIV and think that FIV+ kitties are sickly, contagious, and should just be euthanized. Those beliefs are absolutely NOT TRUE! Sassy has been living with us for almost 3 years now and has never had to go to the vet for any reason other than her yearly check-up. She is perfectly healthy – you would never know she has FIV. This is the case for most FIV kitties, as long as they are given proper diet, care, and love – all the normal things you would give any kitty. She has also been around all of the rest of us in our house, and none of us have gotten FIV. As long as she doesn’t bite us super hard, she can’t pass FIV on, as FIV is passed through deep bite wounds. 
It is sad that so many FIV+ kitties are needlessly euthanized. Sassy and I try our best to spread the word and correct all of the misconceptions and negative stigma surrounding FIV. Thanks for asking about her. 


Sassy

Lexy: It's my pleasure. What do you think people should know about adopting a pet with “different abilities”? 

Sophie: Be patient. When you first bring a specially-featured animal home, you have to give them and yourself time to adjust and figure out a routine. My mom says that when they first brought me home, she felt overwhelmed for the first few weeks. She was constantly worried about me jumping off the furniture, and she and my dad had to give me baths almost daily because I would fall over in the litter box and make a mess of myself. It was stressful and hard for all of us, but eventually they figured out the homemade litter box trick, and eventually they realized that I do stumble and fall frequently, but I am okay. Adopting a specially-featured pet isn’t for everyone, but if you decide to add one to your family, please don’t give up. You will figure out what works best, and you will fall into a “new normal” – it just takes time. 

Lexy: Is there anything else you’d like people to know? 

Sophie: “Less adoptable” does not mean “less lovable.” So I’m wobbly; Sassy has FIV; others are three-legged, one-eyed, diabetic, epileptic, blind, etc… - so what? We are still just as deserving of love as any other animal. And we have so much love to give in return. If you adopt a “less adoptable” pet, you will not regret it. You will be increasing the love and fulfillment in your life by a million times!

Lexy: Thanks so much, Sophie, for a fab interview.  

Sophie: Thanks again for having me, Lexy, and thank you for helping to spread the word about “Adopt a Less-Adoptable Pet” Week!

Isn't Sophie wonderful? If you missed the first part in this series, you can read it here.  And stay tuned, because up next Lola is going to tell you about some beautiful "Forgotten Felines" at Tabby's Place
Lexy

Photos courtesy of Kitty Cat Chronicles



Would you like to comment?

  1. We are simply in awe of beautiful Sophie and her amazing humans. Pawsome interview, Lexy!

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  2. Sophie, I think you are just about the most awesome kitty ever!

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  3. What a wonderful post. Sophie, you sure sound like a fantastic cat. It was very interesting to hear all about you.So glad that you found such a great home and that you are doing so well.

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  4. Thank you so much for the wonderful interview! We truly appreciate your help in raising awareness for pets with special features. We love you guys!

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  5. a great interview....mom has gotten to meet Sophie and Emily. she says that even she had a few moments of "holy cod Sophie is gonna hurt herself" as she was climbing up the bed in the hotel and jumping off, but Sophie is super confident and we know her mom would never let her get hurt!

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  6. Thank you for explaining so well about cats with cerebellar hypoplasia, I have heard about it, but never really understood it - now I do!. You are such a beautiful cat I can understand why your humans couldn't resist adopting you!

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  7. What a great interview! Sophie is so adorable. We follow Kitty Cat Chronicles and it was great learning more about Sophie. It was interesting to learn that they keep her nails longer, but that makes sense!

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  8. Thank you for this interview! Sophie is a beauty, and a plucky girl. And thank you for introducing us to Sassy, too.

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  9. Great informative interview. I didn't know much about cerebellar hypoplasia.

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  10. I absolutely love what you are doing for special needs pets!!

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  11. this interviews storee iz awesum, we iz big time fanz oh sophie, sassy & ther familee !!
    waves two ewe guys frum all oh uz heer in TT ☺☺☺♥♥♥

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  12. Such a cute blog post! Interviewing Sophie! We love the photos and she looks like such a sweet cat.

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  13. This makes my heart smile. I used to have a cat named Sophie (and her brother, Sampson). I didn't know that FIV was so manageable and I'm so thrilled to know that FIV+ cats can live happily (and with other cats) without issue. Also, I much prefer "pets with special features" over "less adoptable" Thanks for a great post!

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  14. We think CH cats are extra cute, Sophie. You've just got an extra measure of what makes all cats irresistible. That goes for Sophie and Lexy, too, because EACH cat is unique and precious!

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  15. What an amazing interview, thank you for sharing and you are blessed to have such wonderful parents

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  16. Thanks for sharing this amazing story, Sophie is jut too adorable. Your pawrents are awesome and I'm sure they get love back from you a thousand times over.

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  17. Sweet baby. I can relate. My dog Dexter has Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM). The back part of his skull is too small and pushes down on his cerebellum and brainstem. This cuases pressure on the spin and cerebrospinal fluid which makes fluid-filled cavities within his spinal cord. He too has mobility issues. I am happy to say, he is doing well with his treatments and leads a full life. We do have to take activities into consideration, but a dog stroller does the trick. I hope all who see this precious kitty know that a mobility issue is not the end of the world. <3

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  18. That was wonderful and they are such sweeties! There are no less adoptable pets, just less intelligent humans. Adopt cats, we deserve it!

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  19. Sophie is so beautiful. I love that you are raising awareness for less adoptable pets.

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  20. Lovely Sophie! She is so beautiful. I loved the interview too!

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  21. I love Sophie and her family, it is nice to learn more about them.

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  22. Sophie is such an adorable beauty! Makes me want to snuggle her :)

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  23. Sophie is wonderful, and so are her humans! Thank you for this great interview! :)

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  24. according to some people, Felix's allergies and black colouring make him "less adoptable" and I'm like THIS IS THE BEST DOG EVER. (I might be biased.) I don't know much about FIV, but it sounds super manageable. Sophie is very lucky your family takes such good care of her!

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  25. Mom Paula has met Sophie and loves her. Sophie doesn't let her disability keep her from enjoying life.

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  26. Awww, what a beautiful sweet girl! Love the interview style. I've never heard of CH so thank you for helping educate me! :)

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  27. We love Sophie and her mum. We also adopted a 'less adoptable' sickly kitten. Whilst Charlie certainly doesn't have special needs like Sophie he suffered from a variety of illness throughout kittenhood and then developed IBD...not all owners would have dealt with that. Thankfully for Charlie I'm very determined.

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  28. I never heard of cerebellar hypoplasia before! Your PAWrents are amazing people!! I understand why people are scared to adopt a special needs pet, but you get so much love in return!!

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  29. There are no less adoptable pets just small brained humans that dont want to adopt them . Loved this post

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  30. Less adoptable does not mean less loveable! I LOVE THAT! Very interesting about keeping her nails longer. Makes total sense, but I never would have thought about that.

    Sophie is such a beauty and her family is very special!

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  31. Fantastic interview, Lexy. And what a sweetheart Sophie is!!! I'm so thankful to have finally found a group of people that value every life just like I do :)

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  32. Lovely interview Lexy. Sophie and her family are very inspiring.

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  33. Sophie is a beautiful girl. Thank you for sharing her story.

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  34. I'm always glad to read about pets with special needs having loving homes. This is so barbaric, but when I was a little girl, I was told that white boxer puppies were usually deaf. Because of that, they were often killed as puppies. I'm glad to see that animals (and people!) with different abilities are treated so much better now. Sophie is lovely and I'm glad she has just a great life!

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  35. Thanks for sharing this post and helping to raise awareness of how amazing adopting a special needs cat can be both for the cat, and for the owners!

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  36. Lexy and Sophie this was a great interview. We loved learning more about Sophie.

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